This gig took place the day of the US election results, in case you can't guess.
THREE TRAPPED TIGERS/ THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND/ KID KIN,
Club.The.Mammoth, O2, 9/11/16
Received opinion states that prog and math rock are
introspective, self-justifying genres, with no relevance beyond their complex
musical conventions. Maybe so, but on a
day in which the US electorate has made a decision with vast international ramifications,
the inward gaze is a tempting option. Kid
Kin provides a warm, amniotic space for reflection, with stately keys and
meditative fuzzy guitar. Sometimes it’s
feels a bit too pretty, but then he brings in a bass synth that sounds like the
Matterhorn clearing its throat, and we are swept up again. He’s adept at live looping too: make a
mistake with that and you have to live with it for a fair while - a bit like
voting in a president.
Received opinion states that contemporary prog is a
rollercoaster music, that can only retain interest through continually
switching direction. Whilst The Physics
House Band’s set might have so many time signatures that it could be some sort
of muso version of bingo calling, they are also fantastic at setting the
controls for full steam ahead. They’ve
got the intricate synths and the twiddly guitar phrases, but they aren’t afraid
of chugging out a chunky groove that could almost be Rainbow. Despite their nerdy name, it’s great to see
that tricksiness can be wonderfully augmented by sweat, passion and Whistle Test hair. They sell T-shirts after gig; given the comprehensive
demo workout we’d just witnessed, they might have done better selling drumkits.
Received opinion states that prog is a backward facing
genre, but Three Trapped Tigers show us what can be done when math rock is influenced
by the sounds and structures of electronica.
They are a little like prog jesters Focus signed to Warp, and their
music is very silly, although in a world containing the phrase President Trump,
“silly” may need recalibrating. Regardless,
their maximalist monkey seizure music is firy, fun and surprisingly funky. Received opinion says that technical
performers like this can’t be joyous and exciting, but then again, received
opinion had fifty quid on Clinton to win.
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